Cover-Credits:
Sentinels’ run at the Valorant Champions Tour in Stage 2 has come to an end with FaZe Clan taking out the former North American (NA) champion. Sentinels has been going through a rough patch with the team missing key players during events, and failing to perform at the qualifier events.
After winning the Stage One North America Masters as well as Valorant Masters Stage 2 in 2021, the team was considered by many to be the best in the world. But Sentinels could not replicate its success from 2021 this year and we might not see the team in any international Valorant Champions Tour LAN this year.
SicK’s absence has left a dent in the Sentinels Valorant roster
Hunter “SicK” Mims had to take a leave from the Sentinels roster due to family matters that he has to attend to. It created a dent in the roster and the team has not been the same without him. The team played most of 2021 without a coach and decided to sign former Overwatch pro Shane "Rawkus" Flaherty as head coach. Due to contractual issues, Rawkus had to leave the team and it put Sentinels back to square one.
After Sentinels managed to sort out the contractual issues with Rawkus, he joined the roster once more and is currently coaching the team. Amidst SicK’s absence, Rawkus stepped in and played in yesterday’s matchup against FaZe Clan at the North America Challengers event.
Sentinels has one game left at the NA Challengers event but the outcome of the matchup does not matter as the team simply cannot qualify. The NA Last Chance Qualifier is the only opportunity for Sentinels to make it to the world championship this year. With SicK revealing that he will need to extend his leave from the roster, fans are left wondering when he will return as his absence has left a glaring hole in the roster.
Things are not looking good for Sentinels as Jared “zombs” Gitlin has stepped down from the active roster and Eric “Kapneki” Xu has taken his place since April 2022. Fans are let down by Sentinels’ performance and only time will tell if Sentinels can reclaim its position as one of the best Valorant teams in North America.
